DNA Tour Channel

A night's stay at the Orang Asli Settlement that never materialize....

2011-06-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well. that's it ! Jun 06 2011- Monday , the day we started off trekking along the trials in Cameron Highlands, was the day that all of us were really looking forward to. Speaking for myself, its not so much the trekking that I was looking forward to, rather the night's stay, as we were told, camping in the Orang Asli settlement with a bonfire, and of course, already imagining that we're certainly having a whale of a time, singing and whiling the time away....

The morning of Jun 06 started off really well..every one was really all geared up, fresh and eager to start the day well .!

So at 10 past 10, we set off on 2 vans heading towards one of the Orang Asli Settlement to begin our hike up to the mountains and jungles of Brinchang ! Briefing by Sargeant Maniam was done prior to the actual climb..but really, how many of us were really listening? Of course, some are really serious about the briefing , while the rest of us were busy taking pictures and eager to go up !!!!

So after all that is to be said and done, full of vigour and energy, we begin our climb! Looks easy , doesn't it ? Very soon, we were up on the hill, looking down, mesmerized with the whole scene below us !

By mid day, most of us were almost quite tired, but still full of enthusiasm and vigour.

Lunch time was most enjoyable and much awaited too, coz we were really hungry after trekking for more than half a day, without us realizing that time flies ... so fast !

Right after lunch, with energy recharged, we started on only journey. Everybody was in high spirits ! Guess it must be the lunch. Its sure was rejuvenating !

As we walked and we talked, the pace begins to slow because the climb seems to be getting difficult and dangerous. But everybody treads on... even though we were almost sapped of energy at one point where the slope was so steep that quite a few of us actually tumbled down much to our horror !!! I was one of them too..

As the day treads on, the hours seems to drag... this trekking never seems to end.....! Finally we reach a point where everybody was asking the obvious question running through everybody's heads "When are we arriving at the Orang Asli village as promised !" How much longer do we have to trek? " Nerves are thinning already... but the best part was the spirit of the group was still intact! It was already 6pm. The look on the Captain's face reveals bad news ! " We are lost !" What ?? We couldn't believe our ears ! How could it be? I was almost on the verge of tears!

World Expo - Shanghai

2010-09-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder.... some of these postings are really not in chronological order. Anyway, does it really matter? I guz it doesn't coz these postings are just recollections of my trips abroad...and its more of my experiences as and when it comes rather than a typical report .

Anyway, Shanghai being the venue for the World Expo attracted me when my daughter proposed that she wanted to pay a visit to her friends in Shanghai.. Besides I've not been to Shanghai. So why not? Jumped at her offer and while we are there,

visiting the World Expo is really not an option.. its a must !

Our original idea was to take the Air Asia to Hangchow and then bus ride about an hour or so to Shanghai. The thought of all that travelling and arriving there late practically puts me off . So we opted for a direct flight on China Easter Airlines instead. In fact, we actually saved on time!! Thats more important to me.

So there we were, at the KLIA taking pictures with the mascot of the World Expo which was on display at the check in counter of China Eastern

So Shanghai ! here we come ! What a wet arrival ! It was raining heavily ! Is China Eastern a budget airline? How come there were no aerobridge linking straight to the terminal building? We had to climb down the stairs, take a shuttle bus to the terminal building, under the heavy drizzle ! And look at that! Our luggages were also all wet , while attendants flinged bags into the carriage ! Mine Mine !! reminds me of my flights on Air Asia

After a warm and nice shower, took a walk along the streets of Shanghai...very typical Chinese street. Beautiful.! So very Chinese of course, and some of these scenes are almost like those coming straight out postcards!

And ooh lala ! bicycles for rental ! Look at that! Malaysia should consider this especially Kuala Lumpur, to ease the traffic conditions! But on second thoughts, who among us would like to be seen riding bicyles, sweating under our hot weather, and to top it up, dressed prim and proper? Any takers if this were proposed by our City council ?? haha !

Bali- The Exotic Island

2010-03-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

Have been in hibernation mode for such a long time. Almost lost the hang of writing blogs. To be honest, lost the motivation to even start writing.

Anyway, I've promised myself when I started this blog that I want to record my travels and also my tours, so here I am again..

These tours are long outdated, but its ok.. Took an incentive group to Bali. There were in total 7 coaches, meaning there were 7 tour leaders in all. Have heard of Bali , the exotic island..well, am rather excited that I am finally making a trip there...

so here we go...

Balinese spa. Balinese culture, Balinese girls.. all exotically displayed in a 3D2N adventure....

As Hinduism is the main religious component there, the touristic sites and all around Bali- Denpasar to be specific were mainly adorned with pictures, sculptures of Hindu deities.. big, huge ones that decorates the roads as we travel along. Some of them seem to be flying .... hm..impressive.

Temples were the focus of the tours... visited quite a few temples mainly Hindus. What is unique about these temples were their architecture, especially at the entrance where 2 main structures had an opening as the entrance.Shopping is really exciting there, prices were so low that most of them complained that they did not have sufficient time to buy everything there... sigh... isn't that the trait of most Asians when we go travelling? shopping , shopping and more shopping... we never get tired of it , do we?

As for myself, fortunately this trait never got into me and I'm very selective in the things that I buy. I rather buy what I need than what I want...more for memories and souvenirs...

Tried the Balinese spa since everybody says it good.. Well I wouldn't say its no good but well, am quite satisfying...
Come the night, went to the Hard Rock area.. didn't walk about much, very similar to KL downtown, the usual clubbing area.. nothing fantastic really..sometimes am just too overwhelm by the crowd and all.

Unfortunately couldn't locate my pictures ...so will have to be satisfied with just this much cos

am really trying to remember what I've done. As they say pictures paint a thousand words... so no pictures, kind of difficult to recall..

Hm... finally am able to upload some pix to authentic what I've written... hehe..

The Malaysian International Gourmet Festival 2009 !

2009-10-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

At the gala night of MIGF 2009

Royale Chulan Hotel

1st oct 2009

Into its 9th year, the MIGF 2009 which was 1st launched in 2001, was a huge success with hotels, restaurants showcasing our various Malaysian cuisine. ! Focusing on fine dining it is officially endorsed as one of Tourism Malaysia's key events in the annual calendar. For more details visit the official MiGF website www.migf.com.

Was with a group of Canadian travel agents, at the Royale Chulan Hotel during the gala night. The food that was being showcased was so fabulously varied. It was overwhelming just trying to sample each and every speciality from the participating hotels and restaurants! Walking from stall to stall, bumping into the who's who's in society, and trying to balance the plate with drinks, and simultaneously sampling every food that I could try...sigh... I finally gave up and started looking for a table to rest my tired legs. At the table, had ice wine from Canada.. hmm.. simply fabulous that I took more than my usual one glass.. Fortunately I didn't have to drive home that night!

The next few days was a whirl of other activities in Kuala Lumpur- like the visit to the world's largest covered Bird Park at the Lake Gardens, / Batu Caves/ Royal Sgor Pewter and also introducing to them the fish spa which is becoming quite popular for most KLites..

At the Bird Park

Getting up close with F1 cars simulators at KL Tower

At the School of Hard Knocks at Royal Selangor Pewter

The Fish Spa at The Pavillion

.and finally culminating in fine dining at the Tamarind Hills Restaurant on the last day before their departure...

This is what fine dining is about... small serving but it sure is filling... you just can't get enough

of it....and what with the chief chef explaining on the nutritional content and how he does the serving... hmm... super.... ( reminds me of my school days where we must listen to the teacher speak first before you can eat !!..plus .. from the tourist guide aspect.. listen to my commentary first before you savour in the sights for your photo taking !! haha..We were eager to eat but uh..oh... no no.. listen to me first.. kind of thing ! )

Notice the yellow powder lining the sides ?.. when u drink, sipping the drink together with it gives it a special lovely taste.. ( can't remember what it is )

When we are handling travel agents, being industry personnel, our showcase on touristic

sites would have to be slightly different from normal tourists. Because they are guests of

Tourism Malaysia, whose main role is to promote Malaysia to the world, our focus is to show

them how and what exactly Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur has to offer in terms of touristic sites, infrastructure, accessibility and locations of various hotels, be it 5 star, 4 star or even 3 star hotels., and of course, our various cuisine and multi racial communities

With this in mind, they will have a clearer picture on how exactly to explain to their potential clients on Malaysia.

So, being tourist guides licensed by our Ministry of Tourism, we are actually the sales personnel of Malaysia.. Thats our job .. to help our Ministry to promote Malaysia....

A view from the Cruise Boat at Putrajaya

2009-04-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

A good way to see Putrajaya would be cruising along the lake! I discovered the joy of viewing Putrajaya from a different angle recently. Not that I’ve not done the cruise before, but this time round, I was a guest (ie being looked after by the staff of Putrajaya Cruise) instead of having to look after my guests when I’m on duty as a guide! That makes a lot of difference in the journey as I can now take it in a more relaxed mindset.. Hm… its good to turn the table the other way round occasionally. It does wonders to the heart and mind !

ENTRANCE INTO THE CRUISE TASEK PUTRAJAYA JETTY

Good opportunity to ask questions and clarify on whatever doubts and also updating on their latest products.

Cruising along the Putrajaya Lake, which covers a total area of 650ha, and 14m in depth, Tasek Cruise Putrajaya has air-conditioned cruise boats that caters to at least 70pax as seen here

There's a guide onboard the cruise to point out the interesting sights while cruising

The views from the cruise is certainly different. Even the buildings seem different.

Putrajaya watersports complex Aquatic Centre at Precint 5

Putrajaya Pullman Resort at the Maritime Centre

The New Putrajaya Mosque under construction

A little bit further on this mosque...

Also known as the "steel mosque" as the structure is built mainly from steel.....6,000 tonnes !

Costing RM200million, the mosque do not have fans or air conditioners as a new environment-friendly ventilation system is being introduced, beside a lot of other water features within the premises that will act as "cooling" agents as well as beutifying the surroundings.

Verses of the Quran are etched on the anti-rust steel on every wall of the mosque.

A "Kiblat walk" will also be planned with stalls offering trinklets and souvenirs for visitors on the pathway leading to the mosque.

(ref NST Jun12 2009 )

Besides the Belimbing cruise which caters to groups, Perahus known as Dondang Sayang are also available for small groups of 6 pax.

Tasik Cruise Putrajaya has many other products available to cater to special groups either for lunch cruises, charter cruises and what haves you. Call Tasek Cruise directly and discuss your details with them.

No Horsing About with Equine Sports!

2009-02-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Came across an article on horses and Equine sports the other day, and immediately it rang a bell of an assignment that I did way back in 2006. Gosh! Its been two years already and I’ve totally forgotten about it .
The title goes “ THE SPORT OF KINGS .. Explore the Equine Word at Selangor Turf Club “ Horse racing is certainly no fool’s game and it actually takes a lot of commitment in time, effort and of course, money to be around horses!
Back to the assignment that I did in 2006, took a group of Thais to Bukit Jalil for an international horse competition, as I was told.
Malaysia was horsing ..oops ! I mean hosting the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Championship held at the Putra Stadium at Bukit Jalil. It was a proud moment for Malaysia as we were the 1st Asian country to host the FEI World Cup Final Jumping, the world’s most prestigious individual show-jumping competition. This is the highest level of all equestrian competitions with participants contesting to qualify in 13 world leagues comprising more than 50 nations and of course, attracting thousands of spectators from all over the world.!

WE WENT..
in 2 mini vans. I was with the VIP group in one van,( I later learnt that they were the bosses ) and the other van following behind comprising staffs of the bosses.
AT THE STADIUM..
Watching the horses trotting and galloping out in single file, with their smartly dressed jockeys stirs an exciting vein in me, understandably as it was my first live encounters with such events !

Sitting slightly away from my guests, I watched the competition begun with such fixed expression, trying to make out and understand how the jockeys could discipline and communicate with the horses with such precision as it gallops and jumps over each hurdle placed at varying heights and distances! It was indeed mesmerizing and I love every minute of it. Watching a horse live in motion is indeed a beautiful thing, an experience like no other ! The horsemanship skills displayed by the jockeys were indeed impressive . The first competition lasted about an hour or so. Before I realized it , we were there for almost 4 hours !

NEXT MORNING..

we were off again to Bukit Jalil, preparing to spend a whole day there. The 2nd time round, the thrill and excitement in me kind of wears off a little, probably due to my lack of equestrian exposure and unable to appreciate what equine enthusiasts looks for. For them, their concentration focuses on equestrian things like dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving. Whether a horse gallops with light or lagging hoofs is indicative of its form. A horse in cracking form would literally springs in its steps as it glides over the ground and jumps over each hurdle.

SHOWJUMPING...
is one of the best known sports worldwide and is also one of three equestiran Olympic disciplines. There are many different jumps, based on the course and have different levels of difficulty. This includes the vertical jump- the most difficult for horses to judge, the wall jump, the oxer-made of two jumps, the water jump, and the joker fence. The combination jump, the most demanding of an obstacle course in showjumping, tests whether the horse has the correct stride, rhythm and speed between each fence.

DRESSAGE....

is often called ballet on horseback and is the highest expression of horse training where a blend of power, beauty and precision is required of both horse and rider. Dressage is another Olympic Equestrian sport and it develops the horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, improving balance, suppleness and flexibility.

It was indeed an eye opening experience for me. It makes me more appreciative of my job as a tour guide, where we are constantly being expose to various kinds of learning experiences in all forms and culture, something that I could reminisce when I decide to call it a day in tour guiding.
Finally, bought this pin as a sourvenir for myself at the event !

What makes a good guide?

2008-12-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

There are so many aspects and angles to look at.. from information delivery, to the way the guide handles the group.

Skills like patience, friendliness, approachability, empathy are all skills that are an important makeup of a good guide. And of course, not forgetting good manners, a common sense method of spreading etiquette-based guiding.

Basic guidelines needed for guides includes :
1) Introducing yourself cheerfully to the tourists
2) Smile if appropriate

While such acts should already form the habits of most regular and senior guides, sometimes it is performed with haphazard frequency. As humans, sometimes we need more to be reminded than instructed actually.
While we are not aspiring to be perfect guides, I think we should looked at it from the perspective of being able to be a "good enough" guide. Do not be too overly anxious to go for perfection, because in our hospitality industry, its more important to be relax, trust our intuition and realise that what tourists needs is a guide who is reliable, alert, caring... ie good enough !

There is no way that we can churn out ideal guides, at times guides may not be perfectly attuned to the guests, but at least they are respectful and professional.

An etiquete-based approach can certainly promote such behaviour. With etiquette-based guiding, tourists can derive comfort and satisfaction from specific actions taken by the guide. He or She may be tired, preoccupied but the guests still expects him or her to treat them with the kind of attentiveness and respect that is expected. Tourists do not necessarily need an exceptionally informative guide that rattles information like a robot, but what they like is good service.

Trying to cultivate a deeper human sensibility in guides should be emphasied. Training yourself to be a "good enough" guide should be uncomplicated, routine,relatively inexpensive but certainly with widespread and long lasting benefits. It all starts from the heart !

Examinations Day has finally arrived !

2008-12-19T04:30:00.000-08:00

The ultimate in training always lies at the end of the session. ! I always equate my role as a trainer to that of a parent, a mother rather, feeling a sense of fulfilment, seeing my “children” growing up and displaying their capability in their respective areas ! Such is always my emotion on the examination day.
There are 2 parts to the tour guide examinations, written and practical. On the practical side, candidates will be tested on both their oral,slide and coach presentations. Its like .. how fast can the mouth churn out information that’s flowing out from the brain in a coherent ,interesting and smooth manner. Sounds pretty easy , doesn’t it? This is what public speaking is about.

Its actually not that difficult really. All you need to do is to practise, practise and more practise. There really is no 2way about it. Some are born natural speakers. Ideas just flow effortlessly from them,string into beautiful coherent sentences that not only captures the interest of the listeners, and what more…. the expression on the face is just .. cool….! Wouldn’t you like to be like that on examination day ?

What about those who are not given this “gift of the gap? At times, ideas are so slow in coming that the mouth is left gaping wide, eyes roaming frantically left and right, almost like pleading to brain to “please…. Give me some ideas…..please…..” kind of look ! If you don’t want to be caught in such a situation, do not be absent during the coach practise session. That’s really important !

Believe in yourself !
With faith, commitment and perseverence and a never give up spirit, its has been proven time and again that those without this inate ability can still be good ! it certainly is possible! Many candidates excel and exceeded their personal expectations and raise their own standard to a level that they can’t believe they could achieve within a short span of a few months of training.
Such is the power of believing !
It certainly can be learned and developed. Having churned out so many tour guides in my years of training, I’ve seen too many actual proofs happenning before my eyes.

Remember.. your past does not equal your future. I’ve watched and seen for myself, many candidates who walked in with heads drooping low, unable to speak coherently, unable to make eyes contact and having their hands and legs all over the place when they speak, to being transformed into somebody who could speak confidently and effortlessly. Watching them change amd improve gives me a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. I’m glad that I could play a small part in their growth.

WRITTEN EXAM
For this written session, the anxiety is silent.
Its about
1) how fast can the hand write down the ideas flowing through the brain endlessly. So much ideas just flows out that you don’t want to stop writing and you don’t have the time to stop ! Time is of the essence..

But for some .... is it on ..
2) How to excite the brain with ideas which are so slow in coming that panic starts to rise as you watch your fellow coursemates writing nonstop !

Candidates face both situations all at once, depending on the questions selected. Take a deep breath and relax. Well, my best advise to avoid the 2nd situation is to keep yourself updated on the latest happenings in the country and to really”immerse” yourself into this service industry and be more observant on tourism news.

When placed in such a situaion,a cheerful invigilator would certainly be of great help. Just an encouraging smile would be magic enough to disperse whatever tension and stress that has been building up earlier. Emotions like anxiety, nervousness, tension, lack of confidence, panic , stress, pressure intersperce with confidence, steadiness, coolness and finally relief runs wild on this day .

So it was with much relief and satisfaction of knowing that I”ve done my best when I finally bade farewell to them , while already mentally preparing for the new batch that is forthcoming ! Some may forget me in the coming weeks or months , while some may still makes an effort to keep in touch. Whatever it is,my best wishes goes to each and every one of these candidates who’ve helped shape and taught me in return !

Glimpses into the past.......

2008-11-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Carcosa Seri Negara ! Such a beautiful name ! Been there several times but have not documented my visit into this dwelling that once belonged to the Resident General of Kuala Lumpur- Sir Frank Swettenham!
So when I had another opportunity to visit this place again as one of my assignments to transfer a group of business women to enjoy an authentic English afternoon tea, well, was telling myself, hm... this time round, will reserve a space in my virtual jounal here to pen my thoughts.

Located on a hill top overlooking the Lake Gardens, it is make up of two colonial mansions, Carcosa ( 1898) , and Seri Negara (1913). The road leading up to the mansion is quiet and deserted. If you've never been there before, doubt would be creeping into your mind as to whether you're on the right path. Doubt turned to relief when you see the signage that announced that you have arrived at the entrance of Carcosa Seri Negara. In case you are still not sure as to where the dining area for the English Afternoon tea is held, just look out for the signage as shown:

Up until World War 2, Carcosa served as the home of top British Officials. During the Japanese occupation, it was used as an officers' mess.
In 1989, Carcosa was refurbished into a boutique hotel. The first guest to stay there was Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.

It is indeed a beautiful mansion, deserving of its name Carcosa-- which looks like a combination of 2 Italian words, cara and Casa, which combined means "desirable dwelling" So how did Frank Swettenham got this name? Apparently he came across the name in a poem called the The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers: The poem goes like this........

Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink beneath the lake,
The shadows lengthen in Carcosa.

Strange is the night where black stars rise
And twin moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is Lost Carcosa.

Songs that the Hyades shall sing,
Where flap the tatters of the king,
Must die unheard in Dim Carcosa.

Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die thou unsung as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in Lost Carcosa.

Cassilda's song in the King in Yellow, Act 1 Scene 2

Walking into the mansion, I felt that I was immediately transported into the era of the British colonial days. I could "see" English ladies dressed in their hats, chuckling, laughing while sipping in their English afternoon tea . Do you already have that image in your mind's eyes?

The drawing room where the English afternoon tea is served, is tastefully furnished. You could either relax while having your tea there or you could choose to have it outside the wrap around verandah where you get a good view of the garden outside. And to add to the finesse of it, you see a lady playing the harp ! Hm.... to me, when I see the harp, memories of the story of Jack and the Bean stalk comes to my mind!

Even the restrooms at Carcosa has a classy feel about it, where each room comes individually with its own wash basin.

The lawns and gardens are beautifully manicured. There are only 13 suites available and each of them are individually decorated.

Staircase leading up to the suites.

Its a no wonder that, one of my friends makes it a point to celebrate his wedding anniversary at Carcosa annually. Having held his wedding reception here, reliving the romanticism of it all is indeed worth it ! And what with a personal butler to attend to your needs ! Doesn't it all adds up to the pomposity of it all ?

Such is the feel of Carcosa Seri Negara.........

Knock ! Knock ! Knock !

2008-10-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah... knocking and moulding yourself into a better person!. All of us are "students" in this school of hard knocks, metaphorically. Experiencing life's ups and downs mould us into better or worse.. ? Its all in the state of the mind. Some - taking it as a challenge comes out stronger, better, wiser .. some..unable to take it anymore... finds life actually runs them down. So which are you ? The choice is yours ...........

ROYAL SELANGOR TAKES IT LITERALLY

Took a group of enterprising young women to experience the School of Hard Knocks for themselves during their visit to the world's largest Royal Selangor Pewter Visitor Centre.

Entrance into the Visitor Centre
Located in Setapak Jaya, in the northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, the founder of this pewter factory was a young pewtership by the name of Yong Koon who came to Malaya from Swatow , China. Established in 1885, in a small outlet in Kuala Lumpur ,Royal Selangor has spread far and wide, with branches in Australia, London, Japan, Singapore and HongKong.

Workshop in 1960's at Pudu

Current factory at the Visitor Centre

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

So what exactly is this School of Hard Knocks ? You get to experience hammering and creating your own pewter masterpiece to take home for a nomimal fee. The workshop is fun, entertaining and most of all challenging because the outcome of it depends on your hammering skill ! View the video for yourself ! Enjoy........

This is just one part of the exciting and educational experience at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre.

WORLD'S LARGEST BEER TANKARD

Greeting you right at the entrance is the beer tankard, cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest pewter tankard. Having travelled to Canada, China, Singapore and Australia , it now sits in its homeland Malaysia. Built to celebrate its centenary in 1985, this is one "must photograph" spot that you must take !Divided into the museum gallery, the factory tour and the retail section, the whole walkabout tour is truly enjoyable with a local inhouse guide explaining what each section means to the questioning look and ever curious eyes of the visitors.

What impresses me most is that despite modern technology being used, each piece of pewterware done is still manually hand crafted

OPENING HOURS

The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is open from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, throughout the year. There is no admission charge and guided tours are complimentary. Visitors can choose to do a brief 30-minute walk around the premises or take a tour of the entire centre in a 60-minute session. For more information, visit visitorcentre.royalselangor.com or call 03-4145 6122.

Satisfaction !

2008-10-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Tour Guiding as a job can be both demanding and satisfying or it could be boring and monotonous, depending on how you choose to look at it! Coz as a local guide, the places that we take our guests are almost always the same and the commentaries that we do on board the bus can be repetitive. The only thing that changes are the people and the time of visit.

So during my guiding assignments, I always try to inject fun into my commenteries , and look at the touristic spot from their eyes.. ie as if I'm looking at it for the very first time myself - much like them. That way I am able to keep myself excited about the upcoming spot and looking very much forward to see it for myself too. So before arriving at the spot, I would normally paint a big picture as to what they would expect to see in front of them. But the most important aspect of tour guiding is you must have an innate love for people!! You've just gotta love them, love meeting them and love talking to them and of course love caring for them. It has to come naturally and its something that you really can't fake !

More often than not, there will always be somebody in the group that will be a pain in the neck ! You either get stressed by them or you overcome them with whatever resources that you possess.. be it diplomatic skills, assertive skills, leadership skill and what have you! Taking it as a challenge, guiding helps you to hone your problem solving skills and make you into a tougher, wiser and knowledgeable individual.

At the end of it all, I feel great when guests comes over to me , with a pat on my shoulder and a firm good handshake and tell me "You've done a great job!" I can honestly tell myself too, in all conscience " Yes, I'm glad they enjoyed themselves coz I really gave my best and did my best !"

So it came as a really pleasant surprise when I received a letter coming all the way from India addressed to me .. ( Now I remembered.. he insisted that I gave him my address)

Enclosed were 2 photos that were taken during the tour. Looking at the pictures brought back memories of the Indian group that I took. I remembered this man, repeatedly telling me that he will send these pictures to me. I nodded my head jokingly coz once they reached home, they will be back to their normal hectic routine and would easily forget what they've said ( am speaking from experience really)
So I was really impressed by him that he actually remembered and took the trouble to send it to me through snail mail ...

Here's a pix he requested that I took with him.. with the Petronas Twin Towers in the background (Thought I'll never see this pix actually.. so its was really nice to receive it)

This second pix was taken with the tour leader and some other members of the group

And to top it all, here's a letter from him

You may think that I am taking this opportunity to brag about myself. Well, far from the truth, I'm actually quite a low profile person. The purpose of this posting is more to serve as an encouragement for my tour guide trainees on the satisfaction of getting a job well done ! It not only serves to further the urge to improve myself further but it also helps the whole tourism industry if all tour guides upgrade their services and portray the positive aspects of the industry.

I am sure there are many of my fellow colleagues out there who has similarly received such commendations from their guests. To them, I sincerely give my respect to them too. Keep up your good work ! There are more than 8000 registered tour guides throughout Malaysia. I'd love to get to know those of you whom I've not have the opportunity to meet yet! The more we network , the more we will learn from each other. We will definately be on the right path on this journey of life together if we work together as a team to upgrade the tourism industry .

" The more we learn, the more we realise how little we actually know "

Brave the dark ... if you dare - Part 2

2008-10-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

So... lets continue my story on the D A R K ... CAVES... . Am trying the recall and reignite the emotions that I felt while on the dark tour. Looking at the pictures again helps me in this process

The Dark Caves- is actually made up of a system of caves extending into the deep interiors of the limestone hills at Batu Caves. It is only accessible by an entrance located in the middle of the 272 stairscases on the way up to the Temple Cave. It used to be closed to the public to protect the cave fauna - refer to my earlier posting.

Here's our cave guide- Caveman Wong. He is a fantastic cave guide!

We inched our way further into the depths of the cave. We were told to come prepared with torchlights, proper walking shoes (make sure that the soles are still patterned, coz certain sections of the cave could be slippery because of the moisture ), and of course not forgetting water.... (without which I'll die . I think).
Finally we came to an open area where Caveman told us all to put our belongings down at a corner, coz our bags will be a burden to us as we will need to crawl on our fours in the mud (yucks!)!

A pix to calm our nerves before we enter. Smile .... !

Now the fear factor starts welling up inside of me !
There's no turning back !! FACE IT ! FACE THE FEAR ! Trying to calm myself (what with my three children in tow), we gotta queue and start the crawl into the unknown tunnel one at a time !

With just a camera and a torch in hand, my turn finally came. I certainly don't want to be the last in the queue, neither do I want to be the first in the queue. Caveman went into the tunnel first so that he will be there to guide us. As I slowly crawled on my fours, my elbows were hurting me. I regretted to myself why I did not decide to wear a long sleeve blouse. At one point, my head couldn't even lift up about one feet high. The suffocation that I felt was undescribable ! Claustrophobia !! The word came to me. I WANT TO BREAK OUT AND STOP THIS BUT I CAN'T TURN BACK ! My face was just inches away from the person ahead of me, staring into his mud soaked shoes and silently telling myself.. Please.. go ahead faster.. faster ....please... It seemed like ages as we crawled and crawled...
At one part, we've got to maneuver our bodies at a sharp corner. Fortunately being quite petite (ahem), still with some effort, I made my way thru... and Whew.... what lies ahead after that strenous exercise, was an open area, big enough for us to at least sit upright and relax while we waited for the rest of the others to come thru.

Not all of us make it through that easily though. Some of us were actually stuck right in the middle and it took quite a fair bit of talking, of persuasion from Caveman , trying to calm the individual down. I've learnt that when stuck in situations like that, its important to remain calm and relaxed. That's when the body softens and thereby you'll be able to turn and maneuver your body like a snake.....snaking its way through the tunnel.
Coming out from it all, I'm sure all of us felt a sense of achievement ! I thought this should be the toughest part of this adventure and now being able to walk upright again, we continued our journey into further unknown, this time with less apprehension.

At one point, we were required to climb on an upright rock . But having gone through the tunnel experience above, this seems like peanuts.. haha...I thought! But, oh mine .. my hands and my legs were not long enough this time to reach the rock that was supposed to help me up.. HELP... this time round, my larger size team mates had their laugh .. sigh.. Just like in life, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose ..

Finally we all made it out in one piece.. but of course with plenty of mud on our bodies and shirt. But it was certainly really well worth the experience!

Brave the dark ... if you dare !

2008-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah.. a journey into the unknown..into the dark .. into fear .. into apprehension ...these were the emotions that engulfed me when I decided to go ahead with the adventure into the Dark Caves. In an effort to confront fear in the face, I took the initiative to organise the journey into darkness !

Even though I've heard stories from friends who'd been inside before, it still doesn't alley my fears at all! The dreaded day finally arrived! Trying to appear calm and cool, together with my family, we headed to Batu Caves , a popular spot that we Tour Guides always brings our guests to. This is the common scene found at Batu Caves

Midway along the 272 steps, is where the Dark Cave is located. So here we were, all excited and impatient to EN...T...E..R ...

The initial journey was kinda fun, walking through the rock formations, admiring the beautiful stalagtites and stalagmites! Its really amazing, admiring the work of nature carving beautiful structures resembling whatever that comes to your imagination! It's simply fantastic ! AWESOME !

Hm... was actually beginning to enjoy myself and thought that its not that bad after all ! Tho' occasionally we've got to make way for the cave VIPs .. like this ... urgh .......

"Whoever trespass my territory gotta make way for me , then I won't hurt you ",as this albino slowly snakes it way in front of us, stopping all of us on our tracks !

And then , there are these .......yucks ! ....

To be continued ......

Visit to the Tin Dredge

2008-10-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Tin mining was one of the main economic activities in Malaya during the early 20th century. Perak, located in the northern region, was known as the tin city. One of the most effective methods of mining tin was brought in by the British - ie the tin dredge.
Reading about it and actually seeing the real thing gives a different perspective of what tin mining is all about. There are not many tin dredges left in the country as tin mining has taken a back seat.
Here, I was fortunate to be able to pay a visit to the tin dredge located in Perak, during one my training sessions held in Ipoh. This tin dredge, Made in England, is located at Chenderoh Wetlands, about 30km from Ipoh. Known as TT5, it was built in 1939 by WF Payne and Sons at a cost of about RM30million at today's rate.
The man responsible to maintaining this tin dredge Mr Steven Ng was there to welcome us and show us the insights into the dredge.

As we walked through the different processes of tin mining within the dredge, the enormity of it all strucks me with awe ! Its almost like a hugh "palace", with different "rooms" for different activities. This is just a part of the inside.

These are the buckets that were being used to carry the tin ore

Due to the inactivity, the dredge is almost coated with rust at every corner, from the rusty electrical switchboard, to the motors and cranes to the tin roof overhead.

TT5 was custom built and used by the Malaysian Mining Corporation Bhd until 1991 when tin prices fell to its lowest ebb then. Many mines were forced to closed down and eventually the TT5 was donated to the State Government.

It was really an educational visit and a good eye opener for me. Appreciation should be given to Steven for putting his heart and soul into revamping the dredge for touristic purposes. It was a mammoth task, considering that the dredge weighed 4,500 metric tones and measured 95meteres long and 28 metres wide !
Osberne and Chappel Sdn Bhd- the company responsible for restoring the dredge, spent a whopping RM50,000 on cleaning works alone and disposed 300 bags of debris and dirt during the process !

Certainly a good way for understanding a little part of Malaysia's tin mining history.

TT5 is open to visitors from 08.30am - 7.00pm daily.
Entrance fee is charged.

Dutch encounters-Window to the sky !

2008-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Walking along the skybridge has become kind of common place for us Tour Guides. It's actually quite a hassle having to queue for the tickets which are issued free.. as early as 6am!
Anyway, when I was assigned to take these guests from the Netherlands Embassy for a visit to the skybridge, I was kinda relieved that I didn't have to queue for the tickets.as it was arranged by the Embassy. I only need to be at the hotel 5pm to pick them up for the visit sloted at 5.30pm.
There was a red carpet laid out at the entrance. Naively, I thought that the red carpet was meant for my guests! I later discovered that it was meant for the Nigerian VIP who was making his way out at that moment. Haha... nearly embarrased myself !
The double decker skybridge is located at level 41 and 42. Level 41 is the level that is opened to the public. When I learned from the lady who were escorting us that we will be going to Level 42, I was telling myself.. . well. the scenery at one more level above shouldn't be much different.

We were then taken into a security area where we took a fast speed lift right up the the 42nd level.

There I discovered that at level 42,the scenery IS rea..l....ly different ! Right up on the ceiling itself is the islamic geomatric design, where two interlocking squares placed atop each other to form an eight pointed star, that is representative of the twin towers architecture.

and further down before we even walk along the bridge, is a window to the sky, where the opening actually looks out into the 2peaks of the twin towers! Unfortunately my picture wasn't positioned properly. You can still make out the two peaks at the top though!

Here we cound take a close up view of the skybridge itself !
Reminds me of one of the scenes from the movie ENTRAPMENT where Catherine Zeta Zones and Sean Connery starred.

Looking straight down from Level 42 to the level 41 below ... You can never get such a view if you were at Level 41 !

Russian Encounters

2008-09-28T01:18:00.000-07:00

Putrajaya-located about 25km south of KL is a popular touristic destination. Besides the usual Putra square, the Mosque and the Souq (Arabic word for bazaar), another popular spot would certainly be the PICC. Located 60m above sea level, it offers a really beautiful view of the Seri Gemilang bridge,the whole stretch of the Boulevard,facing the Perdana Putra Complex - the office of the PM.

These guests were here on an inspection of the convention facilites of PICC. After obtaining permission from the guard on duty, we were then taken into some of the halls for them to get a first hand feel of PICC. Walking into the main reception area gives a feeling of grandeur, as the escalator takes us down into the wide open area below.

In line with its green theme where 38% of the total land area is dedicated to greenery, even at PICC, with its glass walls, greening the area is still the priority. evident from the trees in the background.

We were then taken to the largest hall at PICC - Plenary Hall - located at Level 3.

Throughout the walk to the Plenary Hall, the corridors were all bright with natural light shining through the glass panels.

Upon entering the Plenary Hall, which is the largest hall at PICC, with a capacity for 2,800, the chamber's decor comes in a 'mengkuang" (pandanus leave) design. Some of the seats in front can be converted into a table as shown in the picture.

The Heads of State Hall, with a circular seat arrangement also incorporates eight interpreter rooms

Do you see my guests sitting there? Hm... why not take a seat and imagine that you are the Head of your state and get to feel whats it like ! So here they were.. feeling like a VIP and enjoying every minute of it !

student tourism and homestays

2008-09-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Want to experience a traditional malay lifestyle right smack in the traditional malay environment, complete with the simple genuine gracious hospitality of the Malay host! Even for us fellow malaysians, it's quite an eye opener in itself !
Our Malaysian students had an opportunity to see and experience it for themselves as our Ministry of Tourism organises the students Tourism programme annually where at least 800- 1000 students all over the country participated.
I was one of the guides handling these group of students at the launching ceremony held at the Banghuris Homestay. Each of these studens were put up with a host family for a 2nites stay.
Located in the district of Sepang. about 50km south of Kuala Lumpur, Banghuris is actually a combination of 3 kampungs, namely Kg Bukit Bangkong, Kg Hulu Chuchoh and Kg Hulu Teris. Hence its name Banghuris .

There were in total about 20buses - all to be travelling in a convoy. To ensure that, police outriders were engaged to lead these buses all the way from Banghuris to Putrajaya where they visited the Botany Park and also PICC( Putrajaya International Convention Centre).

walking through with them along Botany Park is equally educational for me too.. learning about flora and fauna .

Up on the air in a Cessna !!

2008-09-20T00:08:00.001-07:00

When I was asked by a friend "How would you like to see KL from the air" ? My reaction was like " I've seen it, its not like I've not gone up on a plane before!" He was inviting me on a Cessna ! Wow! That would be exciting !
So on the stipulated day , I went with him to the Royal Selangor Flying Club at the Sungei Besi Airport!

There, before we could board the Cessna, briefing instructions had to be dessiminated and a thorough check to be made on the Cessna. Though I was mesmerised by the whole process, nothing stucks in my memory of what was being spoken coz really..... technical terms and details bore me! Just got to admit that I am not the technical type!
Anyway, after waiting impatiently for him to finish his checks, we finally boarded the Cessna and was really feeling like a kid on her first merry-go-round trip! That's how I felt. It was really exciting!

So here I was, up in the air, looking down at Kuala Lumpur, as if I was seeing it for the very first time. Well kind of, at this close proximity. Suddenly, the cars seems to be like toys. I just felt like I was a giant, like the world is under my feet! Such an exhilirating feel......

Look at how close we were to the twin towers!! My Gosh !

Flying time up the Cessna was just a mere 15min, cos it was raining that day. That's why the images seems kinda blurry. Now preparing for the landing !

Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix

2008-09-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Every year, in the month of March, Malaysia will host the 2nd season of the F1 Grand Prix after the Australian Season. During this time, practically the whole of KL particularly, will be busy with F1 enthusiasts ! Tourist guides will be busy shuttling these F1 enthusiasts to the Circuit near KLIA (KL international Airport)
Was kinda pleased that I'll be working with the same leader to ferry his passengers to the circuit this year. They belong to this company who brings their dealers here to personally witness this exciting event! To add to the excitement,the journey to and from the circuit was being accompanied by our Malaysian out riders!
These outriders were very professional in their handling of 2-3 tour buses travelling in a convoy , travelling in the heavy traffic conditions that's becoming a norm at this time of the year! Just must have a pix with them!
On my left is the organiser for his group ! He was just as impressed with them, especially on the return journey. It was raining very heavily and these outriders were practically drenched !

Come evening, transfered them to Seri Melayu Restaurant for an authentic Malay cuisine that comes along with a cultural show. As a culmination to their show, guests were invited to dance along with the troupe. Here they were, enjoying the food and entertainment at the restaurant,

Finnish Encounters- 2

2008-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Why I indicate the Finnish Encounter with a figure 2 ...well its a continuation from my earlier post on the Pudu Market.
The last day, I was to transfer them by road to Singapore, with a stopover in Malacca. We were scheduled to visit an oil palm plantation as per the itinerary. Got a call on the eleventh hour that the plantation manager were unable to meet us and there was just nobody available to take them round to show them at close range what and oil palm looks like!
Well, since that item was off, I scheduled the departure from KL a little bit later so that they will have more time to rest, as its a 6-7+ hours journey down to Singapore with a stop in Malacca for lunch.
Midway through the journey, the tour leader told me that her guests re..a..ll.y wanted to see an oil palm plantation and see if I could work out something along the North South Expressway, as we will be passing by stretches and stretches of oil palm plantations. Yeah, but.... the thought came to my mind! Stop the "but" and lets see what I can do! I was telling myself!
Hm.. fortunately I've got a really helpful driver, who works really well with me on the few tours that we've done together. Both of us were then on the look out for any exit that could lead us to an oil palm plantation. While stopping for toilet, we discovered that the rest stop was just next to an oil palm plantation! Hey presto ! ... the gate leading into the plantation was opened! We were trying to locate a guard or just anybody to request permission to walk in (its basic manners to do that, coz it's private property ! unless you want to be reprimanded for trespassing). As we couldn't find any, we just took liberty to walk in uninvited!
They were so excited that before I could even say anything, they were already right inside the oil palm plantation. I then walked them to a close up briefing on the oil palm, the fruits, the harvesting and the benefits and uses of oil palm , so proud to share my basic knowledge on Malaysia's 3rd revenue earner and of course, Malaysia being one of the largest exporter of CPO (Crude Palm Oil) !

Indonesian Encounters

2008-09-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Indonesia - Malaysia's neighbour ! We share a lot of similarities, like weather, people, and languange.
Was with a whole bus load of Indonesians, who belong to one big family... uncles, aunties, nieces, nephews, mother,father etc.. all blood relations. Its kinda good coz its rather rare and also difficult to be able to gather a whole family together to enjoy a holiday!.. In fact this was my 2nd encounter with a hugh family group. My 1st one was with a group of Filipinos. I absolutely salute the family member who were able to organise and coordinate such family get-togethers!!
A family that travels together stays together !! One very unique emotion that arises from such groups is that they made me feel that I was also a part of their family !! That's why it was absolutely enjoyable spending the few days with them and guiding per se begins to take the back seat and partaking in their family activities together takes precedence!

Here we were, having a group picture after a sumptous dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

Here, they were inside the bus! While most adults would remain in their seats enjoying the passing sceneries, the children at the rear of the coach would be busy entertaining themselves, creating so much of din, much to the chagrin of the adults ! But they were not complaining! On the contrary, from the look of their faces,they were absolutely pleased and enjoying every moment of it I'm sure! Take a look at this pix if you don't believe me !

One more for the album... this one,an absolutely must have, with the matriarch of the family!
She's soft spoken, quietly enjoying the company of the whole family, children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and all ! But when she speaks, what comes out is filled with so much of humour that its really ticklish and enjoyable having a conversation with her ! She's just simply adorable !

Encounters with locals

2008-09-18T02:16:00.001-07:00

Guiding foreign tourists and local tourists are a whole world of difference.! How different do you think they'd be? Well, in terms of delivering commentaries,most locals really do not have much patience to hear you out..... coz? well, "I'm local born, what u share, I already know!" or so they think!
Anyway, its a totally different ball game altogether. Fortunately, it also very much depends on the age group and the purpose of their get together for the tours.

Was with this group of primary school children from a school in Klang. Took them to the bread museum, located in Shah Alam. Handling school children needs a lot of patience and of course, you've got to like them and be like them in order to enjoy your day with them! Children being children, you've gotta be strict with them too, coz if not, they'll start running all over the place and can turn out to be uncontrollable.
At the breadtown, you can't just go in anytime that you wished. Prior reservations got to be made for a specific time slot. So here we were, posing for a group pix at the main entrance as we were pretty early

After which we were ushered into a waiting area where posters on bread were spread across the walls. Have a look at what greeting you at the waiting area!

When the time slot for our turn arrives, we were again taken into another waiting area where the staff will shown a documentary of how bread making came about! After which, entering the main museum area would be the most exciting culmination of this tour. Unfortunately photography is not permitted right inside, so here I can only share with all of your the tip of the entrance.

The museum door will open in response to the students shouting the magic word "OPEN SESAME" much like the Ali Baba story, (if you remember. Take a look !

Bread Town opens daily except Wednesday from 0900- 6.00pm.

RMR (Royal Malay Regiment)

2008-09-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Was conducting a normal city tour with my Philippines group.
National Palace is certainly a must stop in the itinenary. When my coach draws near to the palace grounds, there seems to be some pomp in the air. Unable to stop at the usual parking bay, we had to alight at the side of the road. There, greeting us at the palace grounds were the band from the RMR. Curiously I enquired as to the occasion for such pomp,from the police guards nearest to me and there... I was informed that they were doing the transfering ceremony to the next battalion to guard our national palace. The 1st battalion was being invited to assume duties at Windsor Castle.! Wow, Am I proud to hear that! Hm.. no wonder this British man was standing in his formal wear witnessing the ceremony. I later learnt that he is here to accompany our RMR to London.(couldn't speak longer coz would be distracting him ! )

Here... watch these videos that I took during the ceremony and you'll see what I mean ..... Enjoy ......

Must simply take a picture with my Filipino guest- here at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building

And this next pix is simply irresistable...Must capture it on film .. look at how my guest enjoyed his meal?

That's guiding! We not only enjoys meeting people, we enjoyed it even further when our guests really enjoys themselves !

Control Tower at KLIA

2008-09-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

KLIA control tower,is the 2nd tallest in the world after the Suvarnabhumi Airport's control tower in Bangkok. Rising to a height of 130m, you'll feel on top of the world while watching the planes taxiing into its bay. That's how I felt when I was up in the control room of the Control Tower at KLIA! At this height, the whole airport looks so very different compared to seeing it at ground level. Take a look at it yourself!

When the invitation was extended to me to visit the control tower, I was actually very excited! whew, why not ? and hm.. since I was not occupied with anything on that day, but I do have a class in the evening . But with transportation so convenient with the ERL which only takes 35mins on the transit, I went up to the airport and met up with this friend of mine.

Watching the planes take off at this height is really different than watching it taking off from the viewing deck. Thanks to you, my friend for giving me this opportunity !

CTRE to Kota Bharu- Kelantan

2008-09-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

Located in the northern part of Peninsula Malaysia, this trip is actually an eye opener for me. By road, it would take at least 8 hours to reach Kota Bharu. On this ctre programe, we took a train ride by night, slowly ricketing our way to Kota Bharu and arrive there early the next morning. Guiding has opened up my eyes to the wonders of Malaysia! Here I am, dipping my hand into the big " wok " or kuali trying to fry the meat floss (serunding)that Kota Bharu is well known for. Another product is of course the wayang kulit or shadow play. Here this pictures depict the painstaking and meticulous effort being put in to craft and design each of the puppets that are on display during the wayang kulit performance. Interesting indeed @ ! watching them meticulously paint and colour each puppet ! Even though the Chinese makes up a small minority in Kota Bharu, it's amazing to discover that the chinese temples here are really huge .... compared to what we have in Kuala Lumpur! Just take a look at this ! What imprints the deepest memory of this trip was the man who played the gasing (tops)with such skill. I've heard and read about the tops that just spins for hours and this is the first time that I actually see it with my own eyes! Its awesome. This gasing skill should really be preserved and exhibited to the world! I enclosed a video clip that I took while these men were playing the tops. See how skillful they are? Have you noticed how the tops are still spinning? This is the 4the top and the 1st one is still spinning. According to them, it will continue spinning for the next hour or so. ITS JUST AWESOME !!

Pudu Market

2008-09-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

On one of my assignments, stated on the itinerary is a visit to the Pudu market. I had to give it a 2nd look ! Huh ? Pudu market? Why would foreigners want to visit the Pudu market of all places? We could arrange any other market place instead of the Pudu Market? These questions came to my mind and I couldn't contain myself but had to throw the same question to the travel agent. Came back with a direct answer...Well, they request to go there! Why .. we don't know!" Ok , so our job as a tour guide will be to execute the itinerary as given to us by the agent.
You must be wondering whats the concern really.

Well, a little background information on Pudu market. Being one of the most popular wet market in Kuala Lumpur, most KLites love to do marketing there because prices are considered pretty reasonable by our KL standards. Besides, the products there are also fresh. Especialy on weekends, particularly Sundays, the market place is really really crowded. As with most wet markets, the pathways between stalls are narrow and wet and could be considered messy by some.

So you can imagine my concern now bringing foreigners who may not be used to our marketing styles here. Just couldn't help but gotta enquire from my guests why they would like to include this spot into their itinerary. Came to understand that these group of guests that I had, were actually also working and running their own stalls back in their home country- Finland. So here they are, to see for themselves how a marketplace in KL looks like.

Right! Now that the air is clear, alighted along the main road of Pudu, and brought them into the market place and walk through it while at the same time highlighting and explaining to them some of the produce that are sold in our markets.
well,I should say its an enlightening experience for them as well as for myself.!

CTRE

2008-09-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

CTRE (Continuous Tour Related Education) programes. This is a requirement from our Ministry of Tourism for all registered guides to have an opportunity to update our product knowledge on Malaysia and if possible to also have a first hand look at some of our touristic spots.
Guides sometimes have to overcome the myth placed by the public on us... ie we are supposed to know everything about everything.! Its really impossible to achieve that status, but we try to be as near to it as possible within our own scope and ability and capability.
While taking tourists and introducing them about Malaysia, I always believe that in the process, these tourists help us to look at things from a different perspective. Many things which we see everyday becomes so monotonous and devoid of meaning, that it sometimes struct us point blank when we were thrown questions which to our local understanding, it should not even be asked!
Take a very good example, I was asked once " why do your motorcyclists here wears their jacket upside down?" Huh ? was my response! Before I could formulate an answer, I"ve got to look at my fellow Malaysian motorcyclist and its like I'm also seeing it for the first time! Mine! it really doesn't occur to me that could raise a question mark on the foreigner's eyes. See what I mean?
Hm.. many of us look but we don't see, we hear but we don't listen!
So the whole excitement of being a tour guide actually opens up a whole Malaysian world to ME ! What a paradox indeed. But I actually love it coz it makes me realise my Malaysianess and I'm proud to be a Malaysian. Because of all these encounters, I really enjoyed sharing my Malaysianess with whoever crosses my path and wants to hear and see what makes Malaysians tick! It's definately my pleasure to be able to do that!

Burmese Encounters

2008-09-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Picture above was taken on one of the benches at the Dataran Pahlawan in Malacca, across from the Porta De Santiago- A Formosa.

Touring has always been fun. a good relief from the boredom of a 9-5 office work.

Here I am, with this group from Myammar.They were all girls, a total of 14 of them, all ground staff of Air Bagan- one of the airlines from Myammar. Accompanied by only 2 men, one their Manager and the other the Tour Leader of the agency who organises their itinerary.
These girls are really champions! Why do I say so ? Because they don't seem to have enough of shopping hours here ... cutting back time at touristic spots just so that they can have more time for shopping, shopping, and shopping . Well its great that they thoroughly enjoyed shopping here.
"Tuah May " Tuah May" Mieu,Mieu .. meaning Let's go....Quick in Burmese.. there they would be calling their friends to quickly board the bus and move on to the next destination.
Due to their lack of practice in their English language, many of them do not have to confidence to converse in English. Fortunately Mr Saw Tun, the Manager and Maung Maung Myint the tour leader spoke English really well.

Welcome !

2008-08-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hi

Welcome to my tour blog, the place where I will share my tour experiences and
encounters with the various people from all over the world ..
Lets meet here again